Steering mechanism for motor-cars.



No. 871,109. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907. G. H. GOATBS.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1904.

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PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

G. H. GOATES. STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wiinesses the following is a Specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in

UNITED I STATES, PATENT o FIoE.

GEORGE ooATE go woRoEsTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. CoA'rEs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in'the county of'Worcester'and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a 1 Steering Mechanism for Motor-Cars, of which which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a motor car embodying my improvement.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional View of the upper and curved end of the steering post and steering'wheel. Fig; 3 is a central sectional view of the curved section of the steeringpost I showing a modification in the inclosing case.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent detached views of the telescopic sections of the inclosing case as represented in sectional'view in Fig. 3. Figs.

6 and 7 are'respectively top and side elevations of the curved section of the steering post as; shown in sectional view in Fig. 3.

ig. 8 is a rear view of the clamping sleeve at the lower end of the curved section; Fi s. 9

and 10, represent sections of the flexible s aft I ""inclosed in thecurved section of thesteering i so - in case.)

post, and Fig. -11 is acentral sectional view of the curved section of the steering post showing another modification in the meleeimilar reference letters and figures refer I r to similar parts in the diflierent views.

. :My inventionrelates to the steerin paratusof a motor car and 1 that class which comprise a ollow steering aparticular yto st or mast erected-upon the floorof the car Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 28. 190d:- Serial No. 200.264.

. in front of the seat and inclosing a rotating shaft fhaving at its upper end a steering wheel, and being operat vely connected at its lower end with the forward wheels of the -ve hicle, and the objectof my invention is to provide means whereby the plane of the steeringwheel may be operatively laced in a plane at other than a right ang axis of the rotating shaft inclosed 'in the described and 50.

steeringpost, and itconsists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter pointed out in the annexed claims. v

' Referrin to the accompanying drawings 1 denotes t e bod of a motor car, '2 one of the forward whee s controlled'by the steer- 7 ing mechanism, 3'the floor of the car,'and 4 of thecar and in front oi the seat isa hollowthe operators seat; 3 Erectedup'on the floor e to the sente in Figs. 2 and 3.

Patented Nov. 19, 1097.

steering post 5, preferably placed at a slight an le to a perpendicular and inclosin a rotatlng shaft indicated by the broken ines 6 in Fi 1, and having its u per end re re- T e lower en of the shaft'6 is operatively connected with the forward wheels of the vehicle by any of the,

well known mechanisms now em loyed for that purpose, whereby the rotation of the shaft 6 is made to control the direction of the forward wheels 2.

' tor with the plane of the steering wheel 7 at right angles to the axis of the shaft, the

plane of the steerin wheel being fixed dure mg the operation 0 the vehicle and determlned b the angle of the shaft 6 to a perpendicular 'ne. An .0 erative position of the steering wheel whic is most convenient for the purpose of steering the vehicle brings the wheel into such close proximity to the seat as to render access thereto diflicult, and to remedy this various expedients have been adopted, such as hinging the steering post at its lower end to enable it to be swun forward and away from the seat, or by making either a tilting or sliding connection between the.

steering wheel and the upper end of the shaft. By my present invention l avoid either of these expedients by providing the hollow steering post with a curved section 8 at its upper end and connecting the shaft 6 with the steeri wheel 7 by means of a flexible shaft'9 inc osed in the curved section- 8 of the steering post, as shownin Fi 1, and also in enlarged sectional view in ig. 2. I also provide a swivel connection between the curved section 8 and the straight section by-attaching the lower end of the curved section 8 to a s lit sleeve. which incloses the upper end 0 the hollow post 5 and is capab e of'being tightened thereon by a clamping bolt 11, sothat by loosening the bolt 11 the sleeve 10 maybe rotated on'the hollow post -allowing the curvedsection 8 and wheel 7 to be swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that indicated by the broken lines 12, Fig. 1, thereby carrying the steering wheel 7 forward sufficiently to allow free access to the seat.

The construction of the curved section 8 and flexible shaft inclosed therein is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper end of the shaft 6 1s connected \fith the wheel 7 by a flexible shaft which may be of any known and suitable form of construction, but consists in the present instance of a flexible shaft formed by-a series of links connected by ball and socketjoints as described-in my pending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 23,194. The flexible chain shown in the accompanying drawings is com osed al-' ternately of links 13 and 14, said inks 13, Fig. 9, having s herical ends 15 carrying gudgeons 16 provided with flattened sides 17. The links 14 are tubular and are made in halves 18, 18, as shown in sectional view in Fig. 10, and are provided at their ends with spherical sockets 19 to receive the spherical ends 15 of thel links 13, and provided with slots 20 to receive the gud-geons 16. The gudgeons 16 are ca able of a rocking motion in the spherical en s of the links 13 and also of a slight sliding movement in the slots 20 of the links 14. At the .lower end of the flexible chain the link 13 is provided with a spherical end at one end only, the opposite end being inserted in the upper end of the shaft 6 and held from turning therein by a pin 21. The upper link of the chain conslsts of an enlarged spindle 22 entering the hub 23 of the wheel'7 and being connected therewith by a spline 24. The flexible chain is inclosed in the curved tube 8 formin the curved section of. the steering post. he lower end of the curved tube 8 is brazed or otherwise attached to the split sleeve 10 and then per end of the curved section 8 is brazed or ot erwise attached to an interior sleeve 25 which inclo'ses the spindle 22 and is held thereon by a collar 26 on the spindle 22. The upper end of the spindle 22 is screw threaded at 27 to 'receive a nut 28 by which the steering wheel is held in osition. The rotation of the steering whee 7 imparts a rotary motion to the shaft 6 through the links 13 and 14., The

curved section 8-serves to bring the steering wheel 7 nearer the operator and also brings the .Wheel into'nearly a vertical position in which it can be conveniently seized by the operator.

In Figs. 3, 6 and 7 I have shown a modification .of the inclosing case forming the curved section of the post by which-the curvature may be varied.- As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7 the curved'section is formed of a series of short sections 29 and 30 each of which are formed in halves which when placed to- .gether form tubular sections, with the ends of the sections curved and telescoped by the insertion of the ends of the sections 29 within the ends of the sections 30, thereby forming articulated joints on the plane of the gudgeons 16. The halves of the sections 30-are held together by bolts 31 and, as the sections 30 inclose the ends of the sections 29 they serve to hold the halves of the sections 29in contact. The rotation of the sections 29 and 30 upon each other is prevented by formingoutwardly projecting ribs 32 at the curved ends of the sections 29 which are inserted in slots 33 in the section30. The sections 29 and 30 form a jointed case 8 and as the curved ends of the sect-ions 29 are capable of a slight sliding movement within the curved ends of the sections 30, the curvature of the jointed case inclosing the flexible shaft 9 may be slightly varied. The desired curvature of the jointed case 8, however, is maintained the links 35 are clamped rigidly against the lugs 38 by means of a handled clamping nut 40. While I deem the jointed case 8* in some respects preferable, I can obtain a variation in the curvature of the curved section of the steering post by means of the construction shown in Fig. 11, which consists in inclosing the flexible shaft 9 by a case consisting of a closely coiled wire s ring 41 and covering the outside of the coile spring by-a flexible covering 42 of canvas, leather or similar material.

\Nhat I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is j 1. In a steering mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a rotating shaft,

of an inclosing case for said shaftconsisting of a straight section and a curved section capable of rotating about an axis coincident with the axis of said straight section, a joint between -said straight section and said curved-section, and means for locking said curved section at any point in its movement about said'straight section. A 2. In a steering mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a rotatable steering shaft, of an inclosing case for said shaft, consisting of av fixed straight section and a curved section provided with a sleeve inclosing the upper end of the straight section, whereby said curved section is capable of rotation about the axis of said straight section, and means for tightening said sleeve on said straight section. I

3. In a steering mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a rotating shaft,

of an inclosing case for said shaft consisting in lugs 38 pro 90 of a straight section and a curved section,

. and a split sleeve connected with said curved section and detachably attached to the upper end'of said straight section. g

4. In .a steering-mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a steering wheel and rotating shaft, of an inclosing case for said shaft consisting of a straight section and a section supporting said wheel, with the axis of said wheel at an oblique angle to the axis. of said straight section, a swiveledjoin-t connecting said sections, and means carried by said oblique section for locking it to said a sleeve attached to" one end of the curved section of the case and inclosing the end of the straight section of the case, a steering wheel journaled at the opposite end of said of which is adjustable, and a swiveled curved section and connected with said flexible shaft. j

6. In a steering mechanism for-motor vehicles, the combination with a rotating shaft, of an inclosing case, consisting of a rigid straight section and a section the curvature in? connecting said sections.

SGC-

7. In a steering mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a rotating shaft,

of an inclosing case consisting of a rigid straight section and a section the curvature of which is adjustable.

8. In a steering mechanism for motor ve hicles, the combination with a rotating shaft, of an inclosing case, consisting of a Ilgld straight section and a section the curvaturev of which is adjustable, and means for-maintaining said adjustable sectionat a predetermined curvature.

' 9. In a steering mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a rotating shaft,

of, an inclosing case, consisting of a rigid straight section and a section the curvature of which is adjustable, a swiveled joint connectin said sections and means for locking said a justable section.

10. In a steering mechanismfor motor vehicles, the combination with a rotating shaft,

of an inclosing case consisting of a rigid stralght section and a section composed of a series of short portions, articulated joints uniting said short portions, and means for holding said jointed section at a predetermined curvature.

:Dated this 26th da of March 1904 GE RGE H. COATES. Witnesses: I

RUFUS B. FOWLER,

PENELOPE COMBERBAOH. 

